Two moms, kids create artists' hangout

From left: Riley Kirkpatrick (aka Kcold Pizza) and funky folky rock musician Sydney Burnham jam together during a video shoot at the Detroit Institute of Music Education to promote The Warehouse Rocks in Livingston County.(Photo: The Warehouse Rocks)

Story Highlights

Fundraiser to help The Warehouse Rocks:

5-10 p.m. Feb. 5 at The Warehouse, 3555 E. Grand River Ave., Howell

There will be live music, giveaways, canvas painting, free food, drinks and more

Erica Stevens grew up a self-described “art kid,” someone who had clay under her nails or pencil and paint stains on her hands.

Today, she is a 37-year-old mother whose son has inherited her passion for the arts.

“My son plays rock 'n' roll,” she said. “We moved to the (Livingston County) area six years ago, and we found there just was no extracurricular place for him to be around creative kids.”

Stevens decided to create a space and with the help of co-founder Virginia Bergamo, whose son plays music with Stevens’ son — and The Warehouse Rocks was born.

Stevens describes The Warehouse Rocks — 3555 E. Grand River Ave., in the old Knights of Columbus building near the Pier One and Home Depot stores in Genoa Township — as a “community center” targeting artistic students who need a place to create and share with like-minded artists, whether they are musicians, visual artists or culinary artists.

The idea grew from Stevens’ 16-year-old son and his bandmates playing a backyard concert for an estimated dozen friends and family. Stevens said the joy she found in her son that evening led her to question how to help him and other students like him freely express their creative selves.

“I talked with the co-founder about getting (the sons) out of the basement and around other kids,” Stevens said. “The more I talked to others, the more who said it was a good idea or ‘I’ll help’ and donate money. … The outpouring of local support is wonderful.”

Stevens said the co-founders’ goal is to make The Warehouse not only a place for youth to hang out, but a place created by them, which is why her son and other creative youths helped prepare the building for occupancy.

“We had no board, no money, no building and no plan,” she said. “My son was there, too, at the meetings, copied on emails and having input.”

Its mission is simple, Stevens said: “To provide a safe, inspiring environment for the youth of our community to explore and grow in the areas of music and art.”

The co-founders created a Board of Directors that includes Stevens and Bergamo as well as Stacey Campbell, a local volunteer and mother of two sons; Whitney Stone of 2 Stones Events; Darrin Elland, a social justice advocate and clinical social worker; John Julien, a wrestler, painter and garage rocker; and Mike Stevens, who holds a business degree from Eastern Michigan University. Howell High School sophomore Riley Kirkpatrick serves as an honorary board member.

About a year after the initial efforts to bring the dream to fruition, The Warehouse Rocks, which is a nonprofit organization, is planning a June opening with a fundraising party from 5-10 p.m. Friday. The fundraiser includes live music, giveaways, canvas painting, free food and drinks and more, Stevens said.

To promote the organization, local musicians gathered Jan. 29 at the Detroit Institute of Music to create a video about The Warehouse Rocks. Among those participating was producer Scott Mixer, 17, of The Colab in Brighton.

Stevens said the organization will shoot promotional videos for the visual arts and culinary arts next week.

The organization is in need of new or used instruments as well as anything else someone believes would help create a welcoming space for the youths.

The Warehouse Rocks will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.

Admittance to The Warehouse will be through membership. Stevens said discussion is ongoing about price packages that are based on the number of hours a person wants to spend at the center. There are area businesses that have donated money that will be designated to scholarships for students who are not able to afford the membership, Stevens said.

The co-founders hope the students will do performance nights Saturdays.

For anyone who cannot donate money, but wants to support the organization can do so by donating instruments, art supplies, your services or time. For more information, email the organization at: thewarehouserocks@gmail.com.